If you're a local, this is the place to avoid. It's the "bridge and tunnel" club. Crowded, skeezy, not in the greatest state of repair, and so on. Though always skeptical of such consensus, unconsciously I bought into this for years. One day, a favorite bartender from another establishment wound up here. I started popping in early, more than a little wary, cautious to plan for an early departure. But slowly I got to know the other staff. The absolute nicest bunch of people in Santa Barbara. People I never went out of my way to befriend, who picked me out as a regular, showed me respect I never asked for, treated me with the utmost kindness even though I never did much to deserve it. Wildcat has become a place where I'm comfortable walking in, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night; and know I'll be valued, respected, and protected, even by people I barely know. And also served the absolute coldest draft beer in the city except for Lure which closes at 10. This sounds like an ad but I swear it's the damn truth. Be prepared to wait in line. The line is part of the fun. These are your fellow patrons, after all. Your friends and neighbors. Enjoy it while it lasts. read more

I don't usually leave reviews, but my experience at this lounge really rubbed me the wrong way. We were ID'd at the door when we walked in, no issue there. We headed to the back to sit down before ordering drinks, just chatting and minding our business. A staff member came out to turn on the heaters, then immediately walked up to us and said he needed to check all of our IDs again. We let him know we had just been checked at the door, but he didn't respond at all--just completely ignored that and insisted. We handed over our IDs one by one, and the way he checked them was honestly uncomfortable. He was shining a black light super aggressively, flashing it in our faces even though we were literally just sitting there having a conversation. It felt unnecessary and almost like he was looking for a problem that wasn't there. What made it even worse was how careless he was with matching the IDs to the right people. He kept handing them back to the wrong person, even after staring at our photos. The most confusing part was when my female friend handed him her ID and, after checking it, he repeatedly tried to give it back to one of my male friends. That male friend pointed at her multiple times saying, "that's her ID," and the guy still tried to hand it back to him. If you're checking IDs that thoroughly, I'd expect you to at least be able to tell the difference between a man and a woman--especially when the photo is right there. Overall, the whole interaction felt intrusive, unnecessary, and honestly a bit disrespectful. Tons of locals recommended this place to us, so it was super disappointing to have an experience like this especially when celebrating a friend's birthday. I don't know the name of the staff member, nobody was wearing name tags. But he's an incredibly rude older man. Hi Dawn, it was the day I posted this review, December 8th maybe 9-10pm read more

Los Angeles has a lot but they do NOT have the shitty kitty!!! I come here every time I visit Santa Barbara and always have a blast. Thank god its a walkable city because one should NOT be driving home from the wildcat lounge with their strong $8 cocktails! read more

Phone stealing is a known issue and needs to be solved. Be aware. Security also smelled bad.

I love to stop here for drinks whenever I'm visiting Santa Barbara. The atmosphere is awesome and the drinks are great. On my most recent trip, we went early enough that there wasn't much of a crowd, so I wasn't in the position to deal with anything the negative reviews have mentioned. I know theft is an issue at many places, but we felt as safe as we would anywhere else. Maybe just don't leave your phone or wallet sitting unattended anywhere??? Duh. Honestly, any of the negative experiences people mentioned can and do happen anywhere, and imo, they have nothing to do with the bar or its employees. It was obvious that the bartenders were attentive and efficient. 10/10 will be coming back read more

Can't believe there's only one Gay bar in SB. Always prefer to patronize my local Queer establishments.

If you want strong drinks, amazing dancing and maybe even some silent disco, this is the place. Also Sundays are super special and the Glitter Brunch is a MUST SEE amazing extravaganza every week. During the weeknights Monday-Thursday and on Sundays it is a very diverse (age, race, sexual identity/orientation) and FUN place! Friday and Saturday nights after 10 pm it gets younger and crazier, but if thats what you're looking for GO FOR IT! Stays open later than anything else and has 2 DJs most nights (minimum) and 3 separate bars!! read more

Wildcat Lounge - Abba would love the Wildcat Lounge! - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Was very disappointed! Asked the bartender when we walked in where could find a happy hour and after serving us 2 drinks for $22, he said they had one which started in 7 minutes! WHAT'S your thoughts about that? Looked like a fun place although there were only 2 other guests! I guess the service speaks volumes because we found a happy hour around the corner 20 minutes later that the bartender said didn't exist packed full of people with live do and dancing! GO FIGURE! read more

Wildcat Lounge is like the VIP section of nightlife - but with a twist of wildness that's as unpredictable as my dance moves after a few drinks. The ambiance is so stylish that even the disco ball is jealous. The DJ? A musical wizard turning beats into pure magic. I'm convinced the dance floor has a magnetic force because once you step on it, there's no turning back from your dance destiny. The bartenders are cocktail conjurers - ask for a potion, and they'll whip up something that'll make you believe in liquid luck. And can we talk about the staff? Friendliness level: Expert. They're like the cool kids you always wanted to be friends with in school, but now they're serving you drinks. Wildcat Lounge is not just a venue; it's a party sanctuary where laughter echoes and good vibes flow like confetti. If you're ready to upgrade your nightlife experience to legendary status, this is the spot. Get ready to dance, laugh, and savor the wild side of nightlife! read more

If you want to dance and have drinks with your friends this is definitely the spot! The bartenders were very nice and the drinks were great! The ambiance is fun and i would definitely check it out for a fun night out experience. read more

Love this place for dancing and fun and drinks but the DJ selection is not great. Same songs on repeat maybe every 15 songs. We heard apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur 4 times. Need better DJ talent read more

Really neat space- table booths are nice, bartenders are sweet, not arrogant. Also place does not smell like what these joints typically smell like. Will return. read more

Visiting from Bay Area. Alyssa the bartender is so fantastic and attentive. Great bar. Great music. Hookah. Jell-O Shots. Must come back!

I dont write reviews, but this one is well deserved. This bar used to be fun and welcoming, but lately the atmosphere has completely changed. The crowd has shifted from an energetic and enthusiastic setting to intimidating and way too overcrowded, to the point that I can't even feel my purse being gone into. I've had my phone stolen twice here, and security offered no help either time. Even though they're constantly walking the floor, nothing was done. I can't recommend coming here anymore unfortunately :( read more

Honestly where do I even start. This place has the most tyrannical bouncers. They wouldn't let my friend in because he was wearing a shirt with the Yankees logo because it "would cause a fight" only to let 4 people in with hats with different sports team logos in. Insane. Also not that fun, should be replaced with some place better read more

If you're looking for a Sunday Funday brunch then look no further! Come to Wild Cat and enjoy their new extended outdoor patio area. There's plenty of socially distanced seating, umbrellas for shade, hand sanitizer, and music to get your groove on. Glitter Brunch is offered on Sunday's, with a limited menu of food and cocktails. I ordered the chilaquiles on my visit, and was very surprised by the serving size! Not only was it more than enough, but the food was delicious and flavorful. It is prepared by the Little Kitchen, so if you've been there then you know it will be good! My drink of choice was the Sangria. This is not your typical sugary sweet Sangria, and that's exactly what I loved about it! Made with fresh fruit and slightly sweet, this was the perfect drink! Despite all the challenges local businesses have faced during COVID-19; I love seeing the creative adjustments that have been made around town to keep business flowing. Dogs are allowed, so it's a very pet friendly atmosphere. There were quite a few on my visit that were well behaved. My hats off to the servers here that clearly work hard and practice all the safety guidelines during this pandemic. Support local and show some love! read more

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I have a very well trained and well behaved service dog, and their manager "Gabriel" told me that my dog needs to be wearing a particular kind of outfit to qualify as a service dog. When I informed him of the federal law related to ADA service dogs in his state, telling him that wardrobe was not a requirement, he laughed and kicked me out. This establishment is violating federal ADA laws and will be closed very soon because of their agressive non-compliance with federal law. read more

I think this is the best place in Santa Barbara to go dancing at the end of the night. If you are older beware of people that bump into you which I don't really like but it is a nightclub so it is what everyone signed up for I guess. I liked the margaritas. The service was good at the bar. The music was great and they even played Bad Bunny which was cool. I think that the girl that was doing the performance in the ring was great and definitely was very good. read more

Wildcat Lounge - Dance floor - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Little known fact- on Tuesdays after 5pm they do "Farm to Bar"- farm fresh cocktails. Delicious! The bartender Shaun knows his stuff. Definitely an experience. An awesome experience. Locals abound. Chill vibe and a relaxing atmosphere. Will be back. read more

Security doin dirty work , all super rude & the bartenders are on a power trip ! bitter and look like they hate being there and mean. Especially the bartenders out in the back. read more

needs more bathrooms :( not enough bathrooms. i had to pee and i couldnt cuz not enough pee space

The place was fun, but I had my Card taken after paying for a drink, the service staff hadn't bothered after I asked if they could help me find it, once they checked for it and saw it wasn't there they kept serving and helping other people, just be Careful with whoever's around, and have your Bank app ready to lock your card. read more

For the the month of June I am primarily reviewing LGBTQ+ businesses in celebration of International Pride Month! Let's kick this thang off with flying colors!! Living in a beach town of a modest 100,000 population in the greater Santa Barbara area (including Goleta, Summerland, Montecito and Carpinteria) definitely has its pros and cons. As a gay-identifying cis male, we unfortunately do not have a designated GLBT bar to be ourselves. While I would like to say that the days of needing a "safe space" to mix and mingle with others in the community--like a gayborhood--are behind us, sadly it is difficult living in a town without such a venue; even in a fairly liberal, Californian college town. Thankfully there is the adjacent Bobcat Room and The Wildcat Lounge (often referred to as "The Shitty Kitty" by locals not only a play on its name, but also due to being one of the latest closing establishments on Lower State's nightlife scene where folks get sh*tfaced). Together these bars offer Sunday nights/evenings as "Gay Night" (I use that term loosely since EVERYONE within the LGBTQAI+ spectrum is welcome). Not only that but since right before the start of COVID, they also kicked off a weekly Sunday Glitter Brunch of which this review focuses on. SUNDAY GLITTER BRUNCH is a collaboration of Drag Queens--often led by local MCs Vivian Storm and Angel D'mon--with visiting performers from the far stretches of Los Angeles, cocktails by the Wildcat Lounge, and brunch service by The Little Kitchen. Sure, the food is decent yet overpriced fare. Yes, the drinks aren't as stiff as the average Santa Barbara cocktail for the price (though where else can you get a brightly colored pink drink like The Snap-Pea?!). The venue is outdoors on a patio and parking lot/alleyway with a hodgepodge of furniture. Let's be honest, one comes here to let down their hair, throw some shade, and find their inner singing/dancing diva! At this, the Glitter Brunch triumphs!! I was stoked to see that the Glitter Brunch survived and often sells out post-pandemic! I think we all just needed to get out of our homes and shells to socialize as humans are meant to. The venue still manages to take all health precautions seriously. There is hand sanitizer readily available, socially distanced seating arrangements, masked workers AND performers. So comfortable and safe that I came here with my beloved mother, sister and best friend before vaccines were readily available. And truthfully, the only things "unsanitized" were Vivian Storm's mouth and Angel D'mon's dresses... :X Sorry, not sorry! All in all, everyone has a fabulous time singing in sync (or not), grooving, and drinking to reincarnated, talented divas from the past. In all honestly, it was just what the doctor had ordered for our sanity. Please continue to support this establishment, this (almost) weekly show, and these hardworking drag queens! COMMERCIAL PLUG: Stay tuned on the Wildcat's Instagram for show details and ticket reservations. read more

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Always a great time dancing at Wildcat. Just be very careful not to bring anything important! Me and my friends went three times in a row where either someone's phone, keys, or wallet did not come home read more

This is a review for Glitter Brunch specifically that takes place at Wildcat. Listen, the drag brunch itself is fun and I'm glad they do this. Need more of it in Santa Barbara. But the "brunch" side to this is very problematic, the "bbq" food is horrid, and don't even believe is legal. Workers cooking up burgers and toast and eggs in the outside section are handling cash, not using gloves, and we very clearly saw the workers flipping toast/burgers and preparing food with their bare hands. Disgusting honestly. Upon seeing this, we tried asking for our money back to which they refused. Ended up throwing out the food completely once we got it. Disgusting! This would not pass any California health standards and I assume it's why they're cash/venmo only and operate outside to disassociate from the establishment. I don't mean to be a Karen and not one to publicly complain. But don't call it a drag brunch if the brunch part is absolutely horrific. Eat before you come, then enjoy the show. To the establishment & "cooks"--change your ways. read more

This place is open as they have back patio and tables and chairs to lounge to. Lame that you have to order food even if you're not hungry in order to hang out at the lounge. Drinks were not good. Couldn't even finish our spicy margaritas. Service was good but typical club drinks. No craft cocktails here. Will skip this place. Trust! read more

Wildcat Lounge - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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tldr: drinks, lots of space, music was lacking Came around 10 pm on a Friday night to round out bar hopping. I was visiting from OC and wanted to go dancing - a couple from the bar we were at before were going here so we trekked in the pouring rain the get to WildCat Lounge. Getting in was easy since it was still early. Drinks were fast. The dance floor was huge but empty. Liked that they have an outdoor and indoor bar so you can get drinks from anywhere. Heat lamps outside were a huge plus to warm up from being drenched from the rain. Apparently according to the reviews, having wedding afterparties at the Wildcat Lounge is normal. There was a wedding party there and some reviews have mentioned it as well. Biggest disappointment was the music played. Simply put - it wasn't ratchet enough for my taste and to really get into dancing even though we tried. Maybe you'll have better luck later into the night. read more

Ah yes, as what here in Santa Barbara, we call Wildcat the s**** kitty and for good reason! There are times where it's great, other times I get so mad, I vow not to return. Yet I KEEP. COMING. BACK. Let's just say if you want a raunchy young 20s year old vibe...this is SO FOR you, with crazy theme nights and a loud and energetic atmosphere. Vibes are basic college things so imagine Blue Mountain State Frat parties and that's pretty much the vibe from Wildcat. Cover is nothing if there's no one in the club or if it's generally before 10pm, but it's always cash if they do charge. It also can be accessed by the more posh Bobcat bar on the left which is for more refined clientele. The jams can range from your standard pop hits to house to rapdm, but expect on average of about 3 Lil' Jon drops every hour. At least the DJs are consistent on that. The variety of the music depends on the day. Still, the place still has some good rachet vibes. Definitely way less sterile than anything at EOS and M8RX down the streets, so I actually recommend coming to check this place out at least once in SB if you want to get down dirty. Fun fact, Sunday night is gay night if you ever wanted to know. Everyday is a fun night. Plan to either love it or hate it. There's no in between for wildcat. Sometimes it's great, other times it's dead, so that's while I give it 3 out of 5. read more

Wildcat is cute, and often the first bar you hear about when living in SB, but the bouncers are really rude, and don't listen to common sense. I think this is one of those cases where, management deliberately asks that all of the bouncers be the meanest people they can possibly be; because I can't understand how they could be like this at their own free will. Go here early, the bartenders are nicer and there are no bouncers at the door- if you get here late, be prepared to start arguing with multiple sad bald men. read more

We are from outside the area. We were there tonight and apparently it was a benefit for a regular. There were 2 bartenders and one was really rude. In fact he actively avoided serving us for whatever reason- maybe because we weren't regulars? One example was I was in line for drinks and when it was my time to order , he turned away and asked another person who just returned to their chair if they wanted a drink. Hello???? The other bartender was very nice and accommodating.I wish I knew his name but he was the shorter of the two bartenders. If you know him, please tell him to be more considerate and accommodating. read more

Attention!!!! This is a 10 star 5 ain't enough, if you are visiting Wildcat its hands down the most diverse lounge/Nightclub. It's 2022 if your looking for a chill vibe there's a champagne style vibe called the bobcat next door. Top of the line service bartenders are especially educated on drinks of your liking. Plus thee most friendly staff and I heard security is specially hand selected and trained!! I love Santa Barbara and if you do to you would come here!! read more

Wildcat Lounge - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I just want to mention that Kevin (one of the bouncers) is literally the reason why I come to this club. If you ever have the privilege of meeting him, he is actually the sweetest & most helpful employee I've ever encountered anywhere. This might sound silly, but whenever I come I always inquire about where he's stationed because he's actually the best & I just love our conversations! All aside, the silent disco is a lot of fun but tbh if Kevin wasn't there I'd stop coming; he's that awesome read more

Went here on a Saturday night and tried it again Sunday afternoon. It was an okay time. It's a cool spot with good music to pop in and have a reasonably priced drink. read more

A cool little dive bar for the locals. We came in on a Tuesday and they have this thing where they make drinks with fresh herbs... OH MY GOD, they are delicious! The photos don't even describe the flavor in these things. Absolutely amazing! Blackberry nectarine: was made with fresh fruit, sour and very tasty yum Passion Fruit Margarita was bitter, but had lots of alcohol read more

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Literally fuck the people working the door. I've been in before and it's great but the people working the door are terrible. My friend went to get a water because we had been in line for 30 MINUTES (probably more) and she was super dehydrated and some random chick working the door said she cut. Yes I'm writing a review because I'm pissed. If y'all gonna accuse us of cutting and not even actually be looking for real cutters, you deserve to lose a good chunk of you're business. read more

Wildcat Lounge - Wildcat line with terrible "bouncers" - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The lounge itself I really like, but majority of the security are absolute entitled assholes. I tried to dance on the little stage that they had up front, which I was told was perfectly fine but then the security guards pulled me down and dragged me and my friend out. We didn't try to resist but they were really violent and they destroyed my shirt. Outside I was trying to have a conversation about this but they treated me like I was stupid. I don't know how people like that are allowed to work there. I hope they get held accountable. read more

Wildcat Lounge - My shirt - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Eduardo was so nice, he lit the outside fire for us and was an absolute highlight! 10/10! read more

Absolutely love coming here !!! It's my go to spot when out in SB. Never tried the food but the drinks were delicious and the edm music is

If you are a person with any dignity, do not bother coming here on a Friday or Saturday night... The security has let the idea of this being the "go to" spot in SB turn into a power trip. Security is extremely rude. Was not shocked reading through these reviews to see similar opinions. The bathrooms are also filthy. Clientele is sleazy and has no class. Go dance at Backstage where the security is not rude for no reason, where you are not packed in like a cockroach den, and waiting for the third world country bathrooms. read more

Hookah is a blast on the back patio! The bartenders and servers are great. Cool vibe for the silent disco. read more

Wildcat Lounge - Hookah - Dance Clubs Near Me - Santa Barbara, California